Guinness Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Guinness Ganache

This is a match made in Heaven. Chocolate + Guinness + Salted Caramel.

Is a match only between two things? Pshaw. How Old Fashioned.

I had every intention of posting a Corned Beef recipe before St. Patty’s Day, but that got pushed to the side by chocolate! No shock there.

But I’m not terribly concerned by the lack of a post celebrating a timeless St. Patrick’s Day tradition, because these Guinness Chocolate Cakes with Salted Caramel and Guinness Ganache aren’t lacking in any Irish flare. Nope they are sooooo yummy, your guests wouldn’t even miss the corned beef.

Weeeelll…that might be a stretch. But I am so in love with the combination of Guinness and deep, dark chocolate.

Preheat oven to 325°. Butter the inside of a large bundt pan or 48 mini bundt pans with softened butter. I like to use a brush to get in all the crevices. Then coat the inside with Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. Set aside.

Combine cocoa, chocolate and espresso powder in a large bowl. Bring Guinness to just barely boiling in a small saucepan. Pour hot Guinness over chocolate mixture and whisk until completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

While the chocolate is cooling, combine flour, salt, and baking soda together in a small bowl and whisk.

When chocolate is cool, whisk in the sour cream.

Beat the butter sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. The batter may seem separated and that is okay!

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions. Alternate flour with chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with flour.

Scoop batter into cupcake liners. Bake until a toothpick comes out with some crumbs still attached; 20-30 minutes.

Let the cupcakes cool completely.

For the Guinness Ganache:

Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Bring heavy cream to a boil on stovetop and pour over chocolate, whisking vigorously until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. If it is not completely smooth at this point, don’t worry, just proceed to the next step.

Bring Guinness to a boil in the same small saucepan. Pour over chocolate mixture and whisk until completely smooth.

Let cool to room temperature, and if it is still too runny, place it in the refrigerator. Check on it at 5 minute intervals, whisking to check consistency. Sounds silly but once it gets too cold, all you can do is wait for it to warm up.

I have found that the best consistency to apply a ganache to a cake is when it will slowly run off your whisk.

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Happy Sunday, and Happy (almost) St. Patrick’s Day! I love the greens in your pics. It really pops out with that chocolaty/caramel goodness. My fav colors have always been pink and purple since I was a kid, but as I am getting older, I am beginning to appreciate green more. It’s so nature-esque and springtime-ish.

Happy (almost) St. Patty’s Day to you too! Thanks! Green has always been my favorite color. I used to only let my mom buy Stride Rite shoes because they came in a green box. #Obssessed

My Media Full Court Press is still underway. I joined a bunch of Google+ communities including the two that you suggested. I have a couple followers none of whom are my Mother, so that’s good! Next step IG and Twitter!

Welcome!

I’m overjoyed that you have stopped by! This blog combines my passions for cooking, baking, recipe development, cookbooks, and American history. I post a smorgasbord of heirloom and heritage recipes, my personal creations, and modern recipes that are just too good not to share!